Harnessing AI to Help Save the Planet
Can modern AI help solve climate change and nature loss?
That’s the question the Bezos Earth Fund and TED explored at this year’s AI for Climate and Nature event during New York Climate Week — bringing together technologists, scientists, and innovators to imagine how artificial intelligence can drive real environmental progress.
Across the world, AI is reshaping how we monitor, protect, and restore our planet. From detecting wildfires earlier to safeguarding biodiversity to advancing renewable energy systems, these tools are transforming what’s possible in the race to protect nature and slow global warming.
In conversation with NPR’s Manoush Zomorodi, the Earth Fund’s Director of AI, Dr. Amen Ra Mashariki, discussed the AI for Climate and Nature Grand Challenge and why the Earth Fund believes that, on balance, AI will be an environmental force for good.
A Transformative Tool for Climate and Nature
Climate change and threats to nature are among the world’s biggest problems. And while AI is already making it easier to monitor greenhouse gas emissions and safeguard biodiversity, it’s time to do more, faster. When used responsibly, AI can accelerate climate action by helping people design and deploy solutions with greater speed, scale, and precision.
That philosophy inspired the Earth Fund’s $100 million AI for Climate and Nature Grand Challenge, launched in April 2024, to fund innovative approaches that use AI to protect the planet. The initiative aims to empower researchers, startups, and communities working across food, energy, biodiversity, and conservation.
From Algorithms to Impact
In his interview with Zomorodi, Mashariki reflected on his journey to the Earth Fund, which includes serving as Senior Principal Scientist at NVIDIA and, before that, as Chief Analytics Officer for the City of New York. “I was one of those computer scientists who believed in algorithms and optimization,” he recalled. “But I realized that those were just mechanisms to solve bigger problems.”
That mindset, Mashariki explained, drives the mental model behind the AI for Climate and Nature Grand Challenge: start with the problem first, then identify how AI can scale the solution. In practice, this means connecting frontier AI companies and tools to the people on the ground—scientists, conservationists, and community leaders—who are tackling climate and nature challenges every day.
Mashariki likened the process to the difference between invention and discovery. “A telescope is an invention,” he said. “But looking through the telescope and realizing Jupiter has moons—that’s the discovery. We’re looking for both.”
Innovation That Inspires Discovery
As an example of that inventive spirit, Mashariki pointed to Meta’s DINOv3, a cutting-edge computer vision model developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) in partnership with the Earth Fund. When paired with satellite data, the technology can track the growth of trees with 80 percent of the accuracy of field surveys at just three percent of the cost.
The result? Restoration efforts that can be verified faster, cheaper, and more accurately, unlocking performance-based financing and scaling reforestation efforts globally.
That's an example of invention leading to discovery, Mashariki said. "Now we want AI to go even further, to offer creative solutions that may seem counterintuitive to some, but are actually really powerful."
Creating a Force for Good
Mashariki also acknowledged concerns about AI’s energy footprint, and about the need for trust if the technology is to be successful in fighting climate change and nature loss. “At the Bezos Earth Fund, we believe that on balance, AI will be a force for good,” he told Zomorodi. “But we must also acknowledge that it contributes to environmental challenges," and be deliberate about understanding and addressing them.
On trust, Mashariki emphasized its importance. “People living in the regions we’re concerned about, who are doing the work on the ground, must be able to trust and use these tools,” he said. That’s when AI truly becomes a force for everyone.
Toward a Sustainable Future
The Earth Fund envisions a future where the climate and AI communities come together to ensure innovation does not harm the planet but serves it.
The choices we make now, about how we build and use AI, will define its impact on our global community, Mashariki said.
The Bezos Earth Fund is leading at that intersection: connecting science, technology, and humanity to ensure that the tools of tomorrow help restore and protect the planet we all depend on.